Agriculture: Common Agricultural Policy

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will consider applying an upper limit on the amount of payments given to landowners under the reformed common agricultural policy.

Lord De Mauley: The Government are required to pay common agricultural policy (CAP) subsidies to those who claim and meet the relevant criteria. The Government are opposed to the European Commission's proposals for the capping of direct payments to large beneficiaries as this provides an incentive for large farms to split into smaller holdings in order to avoid the capping threshold.

Agriculture: Common Agricultural Policy

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many United Kingdom landowners were in receipt of more than £250,000 from the common agricultural policy in 2010-11.

Lord De Mauley: The number of CAP beneficiaries receiving payments of more than £250,000 under Pillar I and Pillar II schemes in England in 2010-11 is 615. Information is not available on whether they are landowners or tenants. Details of payments in the other countries of the United Kingdom should be requested from the devolved authorities.

Agriculture: Pesticides

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in the light of damage to bee populations across the United Kingdom and Europe associated with neonicotinoids, they will vote in favour of a suspension of the neonicotinoids pesticides clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiametoxam at the EU Agricultural Council Meeting on 25 February.

Lord De Mauley: The European Commission has made a draft proposal for regulatory action on neonicotinoid insecticides which is scheduled for discussion at the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health meeting on 14 and 15 March 2013. The Government will consider this carefully.

Banking: LIBOR

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty's Government who are the members of the panel established to appoint a new LIBOR administrator to take over from the British Bankers' Association; and what progress the panel has reported to them.

Lord Deighton: The members of the Hogg Tendering Advisory Committee for LIBOR are as follows:
	Baroness Hogg, (Chair), Chair, Financial Reporting Council;Paul Fisher, Executive Director, Markets; Bank of England;George Handjinicolaou, Deputy CEO and Head of EMEA; International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc;John Kingman, Second Permanent Secretary; HM Treasury;John Stewart, Chairman; Legal & General Group Plc;Colin Tyler, Chief Executive; Association of Corporate Treasurers; andMartin Wheatley, Managing Director; Financial Services Authority.
	The committee has now formally launched the tendering process to recommend the appointment of a new LIBOR administrator. It is anticipated that an announcement as to the committee's recommendation will be made in the summer.

Banks: Royal Bank of Scotland

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the rate of progress at the Royal Bank of Scotland with regard to the "adjustments that they are making in terms of making it a strong organisation", as stated by the Prime Minister on 19 February; and how they assess the performance of the board of directors and the chief executive.

Lord Deighton: The Government's strategy is for the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) to be a stronger and safer bank, which, in time, can be returned to full private ownership.
	The Government's shareholding in RBS is managed on a commercial and arm's-length basis by UK Financial Investments Ltd (UKFI), a company which is wholly owned by the Government. As an engaged shareholder, UKFI works closely with the bank's management to assure itself of RBS's approach to strategy and to hold management rigorously to account for performance. The Government support UKFI in this endeavour.

Children: Child Labour

Lord Rooker: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the business representatives who accompanied the Prime Minister on his recent trade visit to India were asked to declare in advance whether their companies were involved in the trade and manufacture of goods using child labour in India.

Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint: We did not ask these companies for such a declaration.
	The Government encourage all UK businesses to adhere to relevant international standards such as those set out in the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the UN Guiding Principles. The Government are currently working on a UK strategy on business and human rights, based on the UN Guiding Principles, which will express the Government's expectation that British companies show respect for human rights in their operations in the UK and internationally.

Copyright

Lord Howarth of Newport: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to publish general impact assessments to accompany each statutory instrument laid before the House of Lords legislating an exception to copyright.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Government will continue to prepare impact assessments in relation to proposed changes to copyright exceptions in accordance with official guidelines and best practice. In the case of implementation of changes set out in the Government's Modernising Copyright: A Modern, Robust and Flexible Framework, impact assessments will accompany any statutory instruments laid before Parliament.

Drugs: Pre-Licensed Medicines

The Earl of Selborne: To ask Her Majesty's Government when a decision will be made on whether to introduce an early access scheme for making new and promising medicines, with a safety and efficacy profile, available to patients before they are formally licensed.

Earl Howe: Discussions are continuing across Government following the consultation on "an early access to medicines scheme in the United Kingdom" and the Government expect to make an announcement as soon as these discussions have concluded.

Energy: Electricity Generation

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the warnings from the chief executive of Ofgem that security of electricity supply could be under threat by 2015-16, what consideration they have given to suspending compliance with the European Union Large Combustion Plants Directive in order to safeguard the United Kingdom's energy supply interests.

Baroness Verma: The Government intend full compliance with the large combustion plant directive which aims to reduce emissions of harmful oxides of sulphur and nitrogen and particulate matter from large combustion plants, including power stations.
	However, it is vital to ensure security of electricity supply is maintained during the transition to a low-carbon generation mix.
	The Energy Bill contains provision for the introduction of a capacity market and this will ensure security of supply in the medium term.
	In the short term, we would expect to see some reduction in capacity margins from their relatively comfortable current levels as we move towards the middle of the decade. However, the Government are keeping the security of supply outlook under consideration and will take action if necessary-for example by seeking to incentivise more demand-side response or by running the capacity market for delivery earlier than is currently anticipated.

Environment: Local Green Spaces

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether locally designated green spaces allocated in local plans and neighbourhood plans will automatically have the status of public open space.

Baroness Hanham: Local green spaces are green areas identified in a local or neighbourhood plan that are demonstrably special to a local community and hold a particular local significance, for example because of the area's beauty, historic significance, recreational value, tranquillity or richness of wildlife. When designated, a local green space will have special protection consistent with policy for green belts. Whether the green area concerned would have the status of public open space will depend on the context and any applicable statutory provision or definition of public open space in the relevant development plan.

Finance: Contactless Payments

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential use of contactless payments services being used to purchase national and local government services.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: By moving from the more traditional delivery channels to digital channels, the Government are making services more convenient, efficient and easier for the public to use.
	A specific assessment of the use of contactless payment systems has not been made. This would be for individual departments or local authorities to investigate on a case-by-case basis.

Government Departments: Statutory Instruments

Lord Rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government which statutory instruments originating from the Home Office and in effect on 31 May 2010 no longer apply; on what dates those instruments ceased to apply; which statutory instruments have originated from the Home Office on or after 31 May 2010; and on what dates those instruments came into effect.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The statutory instruments originating from the Home Office and in effect on 31 May 2010 which have been revoked by statutory instrument, together with the dates of such revocation, are set out in table 1, which will be placed in the House Library.
	In addition, the following statutory instruments which were in effect on 31 May 2010 have been expressly revoked by Home Office primary legislation passed since that date: the Private Security Industry Act 2001 (Amendments to Schedule 2) Order 2005 (SI 2005/224) with effect from one October 2012; and the Identity Cards Act 2006 (Information and Code of Practice on Penalties) Order 2009 (SI 2009/2570) with effect from 21 January 2011.
	There are likely to be many other statutory instruments in effect on 31 May 2010 which have been revoked automatically if the provisions under which they were made have since been repealed by primary legislation, but no central records exist in such cases.
	The statutory instruments which have originated from the Home Office on or after 31 May 2010, and the dates on which those instruments came into effect, are set out in table two which will be placed in the House Library. The table does not include statutory instruments (made between 31 May 2010 and 4 September 2012) which, although processed within the Home Office, related to the Government Equalities Office. That Office is no longer located within the Home Office.
	
		
			 Table 1 
			 Home Office statutory instruments in effect on 31 May 2010 which no longer apply 
			 Title Date of revocation 
			 The Immigration and Nationality (Cost Recovery Fees) Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/228) 1 October 2010 
			 The Misuse of Drugs (Licence Fees) Regulations 1986 (SI 1986/416) 15 November 2010 
			 The Misuse of Drugs (Licence Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2003 (SI 2003/611) 15 November 2010 
			 The Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/778) 22 November 2010 
			 The Immigration (Designation of Travel Bans) (Amendment) Order 2009 (SI 2009/3044) 20 December 2010 
			 The Private Security Industry Act 2001 (Exemption) (Aviation Security) Regulations 2006 (SI 2006/428) 14 January 2011 
			 The Private Security Industry Act 2001 (Exemption) (Aviation Security) Regulations 2006 (Amendment) Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2964) 14 January 2011 
			 The Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Order 2007 (SI 2007/807) 6 April 2011 
			 The Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (Amendment) Order 2008 (SI 2008/166) 6 April 2011 
			 The Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (Amendment) Order 2009 (SI 2009/420) 6 April 2011 
			 The Accession (Immigration and Worker Registration) Regulations 2004 (SI 2004/1219) were revoked with savings 1 May 2011 
			 The Accession (Immigration and Worker Registration) (Amendment) Regulations 2007 (SI 2007/928) 1 May 2011 
			 The Accession (Immigration and Worker Registration) (Amendment) Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/892) 1 May 2011 
			 The Asylum Support (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/784) 18 April 2011 
			 The Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (No.2) Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/778) 6 April 2011 
			 The Immigration Services Commissioner (Registration Fee) Order 2004 (SI 2004/802) 8 July 2011 
			 The Immigration (Procedure for Marriage) Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/15) 1 December 2011 
			 The Immigration (Procedure for Formation of Civil Partnerships) Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/2917) 1 December 2011 
			 The Licensing Act 2003 (Persistent Selling of Alcohol to Children) (Prescribed Form of Closure Notice) Regulations 2007/1183 25 April 2012 
			 The Police (Complaints and Misconduct) (Amendment) Regulations 2008/2866 were revoked with savings 22 November 2012 
			 The Police (Complaints and Misconduct) (Amendment) Regulations 2006/1406 were revoked with savings 22 November 2012 
			 The Police (Complaints and Misconduct) Regulations 2004/643 were revoked with savings 22 November 2012 
			 The Police Appeals Tribunals Rules 2008/2863 were revoked with savings 22 November 2012 
			 The Police (Performance) Regulations 2008/2862 were revoked with savings 22 November 2012 
			 The Police (Conduct) Regulations 2008/2864 were revoked with savings 22 November 2012 
			 The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act (Amendment) Regulations 1993/2102 1 January 2013 
			 The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (Fees) Order 2000/480 1 January 2013

Higher Education: Foreign Students

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what restrictions apply to non-European Union students who have graduated from British universities staying in the United Kingdom if they obtain employment or seek post-graduate opportunities; and whether they take into account the number of United Kingdom nationals who graduate from British universities who are seeking to enter the labour market in assessing the appropriateness of those restrictions.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: In April 2012, the Government closed the tier 1 (Post-Study Work) route, which allowed all international graduates to remain in the UK labour market for two years after graduation and to have unrestricted access to the labour market during that period. In closing this route, the Government had regard to the state of the labour market for graduates, both UK and international. Non-EEA graduates may however remain in the UK on completion of their studies, in order to work, in one of the following ways:
	those with an offer of an approved graduate-level job from an employer licensed by the UK Border Agency, paying at least £20,000, can be sponsored by the employer for leave to remain in tier 2 of the points-based system. These jobs are not subject to the annual limit of 20,700 on tier 2 visas and the employer does not have to carry out a resident labour market test;the graduate entrepreneur route allows higher education institutions to sponsor students to remain in the UK to pursue their entrepreneurial activities for up to two years. There is a limit of 1,000 places on the scheme. From April this year there will be a further 1,000 places specifically for MBA graduates who are sponsored to stay on after their studies to pursue business activities;those wishing to undertake a temporary period of professional training to supplement their qualification (such as pharmacy), before pursuing a career overseas, can do so under defined schemes in tier 5 of the points-based system. Tier 5 also offers defined schemes for internships and work experience; orfrom April this year, international students successfully completing a PhD at a UK higher education institution will be able to stay in the UK for one year to look for skilled work or set up as an entrepreneur.

Higher Education: Loans and Bursaries

Lord Willis of Knaresborough: To ask Her Majesty's Government of which independent providers of higher education students are eligible to apply for (1) student loans to cover tuition costs, and (2) bursaries for living costs.

Baroness Garden of Frognal: All higher education institutions are independent. Eligible students attending higher education institutions in England not funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England can apply for student support if the course they intend to study has been specifically designated for student support purposes by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills. Students on these courses will be eligible to apply for tuition fee loans of up to £6,000 if they are studying full time and £4,500 if they are studying part time. They can apply for all other types of student support on the same basis as students at publicly funded institutions.
	A list of courses that have been specifically designated is published on the SLC's website: http://www.practitioners. slc.co.uk/policy-information/designated-courses/full-list.aspx.

Higher Education: Loans and Bursaries

Lord Willis of Knaresborough: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many students studying higher education courses offered by independent providers of higher education received loans or bursaries provided by public funds in (1) 2010-11, (2) 2011-12, and (3) 2012-13; and what were the courses they were studying.

Baroness Garden of Frognal: The number of students studying on specifically designated higher education courses offered by independent providers of higher education receiving loans or bursaries in the years in question are as follows:
	2010-11-5,860; and
	2011-12-12,240.
	The data for 2012-13 are not yet available
	A list of courses that have been specifically designated is published on the SLC's website: http://www.practitioners. slc.co.uk/policy-information/designated-courses/full-list.aspx.

Higher Education: Loans and Bursaries

Lord Willis of Knaresborough: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many student places at higher education courses offered by independent providers of higher education will be eligible for loans or bursaries provided by the taxpayer in (1) 2013-14, and (2) 2014-2015.

Baroness Garden of Frognal: All higher education providers are independent of government. Some receive direct public funding through grants awarded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). The number of full-time home and EU undergraduate students recruited by these institutions is regulated by HEFCE, although we have begun relaxing those controls so that popular, high-quality institutions can expand in response to student choice. There are alternative providers that do not receive HEFCE grant but can be designated for student support purposes, giving their students access to loans and grants from the Student Loans Company. There is currently no limit on the number of students these providers can recruit but we have recently concluded a consultation on bringing alternative providers into the student number control system. We will announce our response to the consultation in due course.

Immigration

Baroness Doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many unaccompanied minors, excluding those from other European Union countries, entered the United Kingdom in 2012.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: We do not hold data on the number of unaccompanied minors who entered the United Kingdom in 2012.
	All unaccompanied minors are questioned, however they are not all stopped. Those who are not stopped are allowed to proceed without a record being taken.

Inflation

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any difference between the current aggregate price level and the level that would have been achieved if the Monetary Policy Committee had met the inflation target set when the current approach to inflation targeting was first established.

Lord Deighton: The Chancellor of the Exchequer set the remit for the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) at Budget 2012 to target 2% inflation, as measured by the 12-month increase in the Consumer Prices Index.
	The MPC sets monetary policy in order to meet the 2% inflation target in the medium term. The remit recognises that, on occasions, the actual inflation rate will depart from its target as a result of shocks and disturbances. The remit allows the MPC to look through short-term movements in inflation.
	The independent Office for National Statistics is responsible for producing and publishing inflation data, which can be found on its website1.
	1 http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/allreleases.html?definition= tcm:77-22462%3F

Media: Press Regulation

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the report by the High Level Group on Media Freedom and Pluralism on media regulation in the European Union; whether any proposals to implement its recommendations would be subject to unanimity or qualified majority voting; and whether such proposals would trigger a referendum in the United Kingdom.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government have noted with interest the contents of the report of the High Level Group on Media Freedom and Pluralism. The European Commission has not yet given any indication of its intentions or whether it believes it is an appropriate area to legislate. However, we have no intention of allowing Europe to regulate the UK press, and will set out, directly and through existing forums, why we believe this is a matter for individual member states.

Migration Advisory Committee

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Home Office's Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) can have only non-ex officio members who are independent economists; who are the current members of the MAC; and whether they will take steps to create a separate advisory committee that includes experts on other migration issues such as culture, social integration, religion and urban development.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The appointments to the Migration Advisory Committee reflect the remit of the committee, which is to provide independent and evidence-based advice to the Government on migration issues, mainly in relation to labour migration. Appointments are made by open competition in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointment's code of practice. The current members are Professor David Metcalf CBE, Dr Martin Ruhs, Professor Jonathan Wadsworth, Dr Jennifer C Smith and Professor Jackline Wahba. The committee operates under a presumption of openness and will engage, and gather evidence from, experts from other disciplines as it sees fit. It also has a formal stakeholder panel that includes representation from the Confederation of British Industry, the Trades Union Congress, the British Chambers of Commerce and the National Health Service. The Government have no current plans to change the committee's structure or remit.

NHS: Redundancy

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many senior staff have been made redundant on enhanced redundancy terms at Basildon and Thurrock General Hospitals NHS Trust since 2008.

Earl Howe: This is a matter for Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
	We have written to the trust's chair, Ian Luder, informing him of your enquiry. He will reply shortly and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

Planning

Lord Christopher: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many hectares of land are held by developers for which planning permission has (1) been sought and granted, and (2) not yet been sought.

Baroness Hanham: The amount of land held by developers for which planning permission has been granted or not yet sought is not held centrally.

Planning

Lord Christopher: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the last year for which figures are available, how many hectares of land for which planning permission has been granted remained undeveloped 12 months after planning permission was granted; and how many hectares have planning permission preserved on the basis of a small, incomplete, amount of development.

Baroness Hanham: The amount of land for which planning permission has been granted but which remains undeveloped after 12 months or which contains a small, incomplete amount of development is not centrally available.

Planning

Lord Christopher: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps are available to ensure that developers complete the full development of land they hold.

Baroness Hanham: It is a condition of planning permissions granted by local planning authorities that development must begin within three years of the permission being granted, or within a longer or shorter period agreed by the local planning authority. If after that time period a local planning authority is of the opinion that a development will not be completed within a reasonable period, they may serve a completion notice under Section 94 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, stating that the planning permission will cease to have effect after a further period of not less than 12 months. Completion notices require confirmation from the Secretary of State, and the person on whom the completion notice has been served has a right to make representations to the Secretary of State.

Sri Lanka

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of claims by Sri Lankan nationals relating to torture and inhuman treatment after they had been forcibly removed to Sri Lanka by the UK Border Agency.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The UK Border Agency has reviewed allegations made by Sri Lankan nationals that they faced mistreatment following their removal from the UK and provided a response in a country policy bulletin, published in October 2012. It was concluded that the evidence did not justify a change in the agency's policy on returns to Sri Lanka.
	We constantly review the situation in Sri Lanka and decision makers have access to up-to-date country information from the agency's country of origin information service. This information ensures that claims for protection are considered fully in light of objective information. Where we find individuals are in need of our protection, for example if they are at real risk of being tortured or ill treated on return, we will give it.

Sterling: Devaluation

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the devaluation of Sterling forms part of their economic policy; and, if not, what action they intend to take to counter it.

Lord Deighton: The UK operates a floating exchange rate. The Government's macroeconomic framework includes an independent Bank of England, responsible for monetary policy, which seeks to deliver price stability through an inflation target defined as a 2% annual increase in the consumer prices index. Under this framework the exchange rate is allowed to adjust flexibly and the Government have a policy of non-intervention.

Torture

Lord Tyler: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the conclusions of the reports by the Open Society Justice Initiative, Globalising Torture and the Centre for Policy Studies, Neither Just nor Secure, on extraordinary rendition.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Government note the reports entitled Globalising Torture: CIA Secret Detention and Extraordinary Rendition, by the Open Society for Justice, and Neither Just nor Secure by the Centre for Policy Studies.
	The Government have been clear that they stand firmly against torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment. We do not condone it, nor do we ask others to do it on our behalf.
	Serious allegations have been made about the role the UK has played in the past in the treatment of detainees held by other countries, and in the illegal transfer of detainees from one country to another. We have been clear and remain absolutely committed to ensuring that these serious allegations are examined carefully. As the Prime Minister, my right honourable friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), told the House of Commons on 6 July 2010 (Official Report, col. 175) those allegations are not proven, but their consequences are serious.
	We remain committed to drawing a line under these issues and have taken a number of steps:
	we have published the consolidated guidance, which provides clear directions for intelligence officers and service personnel dealing with foreign intelligence services regarding detainees held overseas; we have been clear that allegations of wrongdoing can be investigated by the police, with full co-operation from the Government;we fully intend to hold an independent judge-led inquiry once all related police investigations are completed; andwe have brought forward measures in the Justice and Security Bill which, by allowing courts to consider all the relevant evidence, will ensure that more civil cases alleging mistreatment can be heard.
	The Government have responded to the Centre for Policy Studies report by means of a letter from the Minister without Portfolio, my right honourable friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke), to my right honourable friend the Member for Chichester (Mr Tyrie), the report's author. The reply is published on the Cabinet Office website at: http://consultation.cabinet office.gov.uk/justiceandsecurity/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Ken-Clarke-to-Andrew-Tyrie-110213.pdf.

UK Border Agency: Staff

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many non-United Kingdom citizens are employed by the UK Border Agency.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The UK Border Agency checks the nationality of its employees as part of the recruitment process. However, the information is not retained and no central records are kept. It is therefore not possible to answer the question without incurring disproportionate costs.

Visas

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many students were granted visas in each of the past three years from (1) India, (2), Pakistan, and (3) Bangladesh; how many from each country, and in what proportion, were refused visas in 2012; and how many, and what proportion, of the total were to students in universities and private colleges respectively.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The available information relates to grants of study-related entry clearance visas by nationality, total resolutions, grants and refusals for study-related entry clearance visas, and total sponsored student applications by education sector, and is provided in the table below.
	Published statistics do not separately identify study-related entry clearance visas refused by individual nationality.
	
		
			 Entry clearance visas issued by category and country of nationality: Study (Tier 4) main applicants 
			 Country of nationality 2010 2011 2012 
			 Bangladesh 8,776 5,666 2,683 
			 India 42,209 30,003 16,208 
			 Pakistan 22,605 32,323 9,998 
		
	
	Source:Table be.06.q.s
	
		
			 Entry clearance visa resolutions 2012: Study (Tier 4) main applicants 
			 Resolved Issued % Of which Refused % Withdrawn or lapsed 
			 214,714 192,992 90% 20,309 9% 1,413 
		
	
	Data are based on entry clearance visa resolutions.
	Cases resolved in 2012 may include some applications made in earlier years.
	Source: Table be.01.g
	
		
			 Applicants for visas for study using sponsor acceptances (Tier 4 main applicants), by education sector 
			  2010 2011 2012 
			 Total 249,186 270,684 210,111 
			 of which
			 UK-based Higher Education Institutions 143,131 152,479 156,537 
			 Tertiary, Further education or other colleges 64,022 82,865 31,587 
			 English language school 19,253 11,476 3,589 
			 Independent school 14,478 16,168 13,937 
			 Other 8,302 7,696 4,461 
		
	
	Data are based on use of certificates of acceptance for study in visa applications.
	Decisions (resolutions) of some applications may occur in a later year than the application
	Source: Table cs.07
	The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics on entry clearance visas within the Immigration Statistics release. A copy of the latest release, Immigration Statistics October-December 2012 is available from the Home Office science, research and statistics webpages at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/science-research/research- statistics/migration/migration-statistics1/and will be placed in the Library of the House.

Zimbabwe

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to ensure the elections due this year in Zimbabwe are free and fair.

Baroness Warsi: The Government's focus is on supporting the aspirations of the Zimbabwean people for a peaceful, prosperous and democratic Zimbabwe. We are working with reformers in Zimbabwe and the region to maximise the prospects of achieving properly conducted elections. We will continue to work with these partners and monitor the situation in Zimbabwe closely in the lead up to elections.
	We are also encouraged by recent Southern African Development Community (SADC) communiqués which have emphasised the need for reforms, including a referendum on a new constitution, in advance of elections in Zimbabwe. The constitutional referendum is now scheduled to take place on 16 March.